


Stardust

by xiinas



Category: Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Boys In Love, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Fairies, Fairy AU, Fairy Tale Elements, Garden Fairy!Komaeda, M/M, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2020-02-26 01:33:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18713815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiinas/pseuds/xiinas
Summary: Magic can present itself in the most unexpected of circumstances.





	1. I: I Wanna Know, Will I See You Again?

It was warm and sunny in the garden that particular day, and as anyone knows, with heat the soil becomes arid, dry. Hajime knew this, all too well actually, and so he wandered to the backyard to his beloved watering can. The garden was all but a pitiful sight, it’s caretaker beginning to lose hope that anything could revive the feeble spirits of his treasured flowers and crops. Sunflowers drooped painfully at his presence, and the tomatoes and peppers mocked him as he watched yet another caterpillar gouge it’s way inside one of the over ripened fruits. He sighed, crouching before the hose faucet and holding the large can underneath, turning the valve to the left. He waited as the vessel filled until it was brimming, before turning the valve again, to the right this time, until it’s flowing ceased.

 

His garden was a safe place, his haven as the neighbors had called it back in the early days of it’s inception, but now the sight of it brought an overwhelming feeling of dissatisfaction and disappointment to him. He’d begun writing more recently, a fond passion of his, in desperate attempts to create something he was deeply proud of, and with this revision in his routine his haven had suffered. When his hard work hadn’t taken off, he’d tried desperately to restore the plants to their former, cheerful selves, but unfortunately it seemed too late. His only pride and joy in life had given up on him, because he was truly that useless.

 

His neighbor and best friend, Kazuichi Souda, rode by on his bike just then, throwing a wave over his shoulder as he stopped to shout out a greeting. He had a large bouquet of some beautiful type of orchid cradled in his left arm, probably attempting to woo the woman from the mansion down the street he’d been in love with since she had moved into the neighborhood.

 

“Still trying to perk up those guys I see!” he exclaimed, removing his helmet to tie a rubber band around his neon pink locks. “Man, you never give up, do you?”

 

Hajime smiled a bit to himself, half out of reminiscence and half out of amusement. He set his watering can next to the box of white daisies, leaning over the fence before answering.

 

“Suppose I just need a routine to fall back on.” he stated simply, “I’ll get them back, and if I don’t I’ll buy new ones, I guess. What about you, Souda? Where are you off to?”

 

“Sonia’s of course!”

 

He sighed. “Not sure why I bothered to ask.”

 

Souda laughed awkwardly, pink dusting his cheeks from embarrassment. He seemed happy though, and that made Hajime smile and let out a soft chuckle as well. It was pleasing to see Souda in such a positive mood, perhaps if Hajime got lucky he could feel the same soon. He waved Souda off as he pedaled away, turning back to the abandoned task of watering his garden.

 

He groaned. What was the use anyway? Those plants were gone, deceased, irredeemable. If only he hadn’t tried to do something bigger than himself, he would still have the one thing that brings him joy. If only he hadn’t believed that he was worth something more than having a dull, boring life. A life where he got up in the morning, spent half his day writing pieces to never be seen by the public eye, went to work at night, and returned early morning every day to get in a few hours sleep before he’d have to wake up and do the entire thing over again.

 

_Because that’s just what he was._

 

_Average. Mediocre._

 

**_Boring._ **

 

And he wanted something to change.

 

———

 

As a change of scenery, Hajime called up his close friends to get together for dinner that night, since it was his off day. His friends served as not only his moral support in his work and as people he simply enjoyed spending time with, but they were also his direct inspiration from time to time. He recalled several instances where inspiration had sparked through him while he’d been having a conversation with Souda or Fuyuhiko, which he then later incorporated portions of into character dialogue or personality quirks derived from his friends and their interactions.

 

Hajime had always been fascinated with the art of observation, and throughout his school years it had been virtually the only thing he was naturally gifted in. He learned a lot concerning human nature from the times he would observe people in the city as a young teen with his parents, or even just his neighbors tending to their yards as he did nearly every day.

 

“By the way, Hinata,” Fuyuhiko’s voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality “One of my close friends is a publisher, if you’re interested in having him look over some of your work-“

 

“I think I’m okay, thanks.”

 

Fuyuhiko frowned and gave him a confused expression.

 

“So that’s it? You’re just giving up?” He asked, stunned, “You’re a decent writer Hajime, you can’t let the first or third failures discourage you, in fact, if I’d let that happen to me I wouldn’t be in my position.”

 

He slid his pointer finger along the rim of his wine glass as he spoke, the action eliciting a quiet humming sound from the friction. Hajime couldn’t help but acknowledge that he was right, especially concerning his own occupation. As the leader of his family’s organization, if he’d flopped and given up when times turned dark, his whole clan would have seen him as nothing more than a disappointment. A failure.

 

Then again, he thought, writing is a different story. Inspiration can’t be forced, and nine out of ten times motivation may not stick around long enough to complete an idea on paper. And when it does, an artist may not be as proud of the finished product as they’d initially perceived. The creative cycle is ruthless, and constantly disappointing. And yet artists seemed to be eternally trapped within it.

 

So he shrugged instead of giving a verbal response, sipping from his beer bottle as Fuyuhiko let out a groan of frustration.

 

“You just need something that’ll stick, dude” Souda piped up “I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to whip up something you’re really proud of once you find the right inspiration, right?”

 

_The right inspiration, huh..._

 

Hajime smiled at that, his mind finally made up. “I think I’ll take a break from writing for the time being” he mused “Plus, it would give me more time to work in the garden, you’ve probably noticed it needs some serious TLC.”

 

Fuyuhiko gave an approving nod at that, downing the remainder of his drink and holding up one finger. “What got you so interested in tending to those plants in the first place?” he asked “I’ve never understood those who enjoy such a hobby as mundane as gardening.”

 

Hajime laughed. “Well, I suppose it’s... satisfying, so to speak? I don’t know...” He fiddled with the bottle cap of his beer “It definitely made me appreciate nature a bit more, that’s for sure. I guess it sort of serves as a distraction, so I don’t get too discouraged with my writing.”

 

“Well, that’s understandable.” Fuyuhiko replied, nodding.

 

Their waiter arrived with their dinner just then, and the trio continued their ever shifting conversation topics while they ate. Souda brought up his ‘extremely successful’ interaction with miss Sonia Nevermind earlier that afternoon, describing how she was pleased with the flowers, but he was quickly requested by her mansion security that he leave her property after he’d continuously attempted fruitlessly to make smalltalk with her.

 

“She was practically swooning over me!” he boasted, a proud grin gracing his features as he downed another bite of his pasta. “Couldn’t take her eyes off me, had I not been kicked out I’d have totally asked her out on the spot!”

 

Fuyuhiko leaned over to Hajime and spoke behind his hand soft enough so Souda wouldn’t hear. “Bet she couldn’t take her eyes off the him because it’s fuckin’ hilarious watching him act all desperate” he snickered.

 

Hajime had to fight hard to hold back his own snort, only to fail when Souda asked cluelessly what Fuyuhiko had said and the both of them burst into a fit of hysterical laughter.

 

The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, after parting ways with his friends Hajime had stopped by the supermarket on the way home to pick up groceries he’d been running low on. While shopping, he passed by the small gardening section of the store, where paper seed packets and infant sprouts in plastic pots lined the shelves. Every crop you could imagine, from carrots to strawberries to artichokes were available, tempting him. Metal spades and handheld shovels accompanied them, and a few bags of gardening soil and fertilizer were stacked next to the display.

 

Hajime stood for a moment, his thoughts drifting to his garden and his resolve to revive it. It wouldn’t hurt to have some new seeds if he wasn’t able to save them.

 

So he left the store with an assortment of seed packets and a sack of fertilizer, determination brewing in his heart.

 

——

 

He hadn’t remembered leaving any lights on when he’d left the house earlier that evening.

Thus, when Hajime stepped through the door of his home and noticed a brilliant glow that leaked into the hallway from the living room, he became unimaginably tense. He hadn’t been expecting any visitors, and he recalled locking the front door before leaving, so the thought of a possible intruder brought on an intense wave of anxiety. Sucking in a breath sharply, he placed his groceries and belongings near the front door as quietly as possible, lest he be heard and the intruder decided he was worth a fight.

 

As he drew closer towards the living room, he made out a soft tune being hummed from whoever the intruder might be. _Odd_ , he thought, why would a burglar be so relaxed as to sing a tune after breaking and entering into a home uninvited?

 

He heard a tinkling sound amongst the soft humming, as if the sound itself was intended to meld with the tune and transform it into something symphonic. Hajime had reason to assume by this point that whoever was in his house hadn’t come out of malice or ill intent. The melody consumed him, he could feel the beat of his heart slowing as the anxious feeling melted away, replaced with nothing but a quiet, serene warmth inside him.

 

He peeked his head around the corner into the room, trying his best to keep quiet so that he wouldn’t startle his visitor, and he had to fight himself awfully hard to keep himself from letting out a gasp.

 

There, draped over his armchair and smiling down at the potted plant that lie next to him, was a young man. His back was mostly turned to him, he seemed completely enamored with hovering over the small pot. He had snow white curls tipped pink, a pale complexion and the warmest smile Hajime had seen from anyone he’s ever met. He wore what seemed to be a makeshift, messy white tunic to match the white tresses of his head, and the soft glimmer and glow of his skin made him absolutely _radiant_.

 

But that wasn’t even the most peculiar nor stunning thing about him.

 

Hajime’s eyes traveled down his figure slowly, to where the fabric of his tunic split over his back and was open. There, nestled between his shoulder blades, were two large silk-like wings, their span exceeding the length of his body as they were folded over him. Akin to something like glassy butterfly’s wings, it seemed as if the softest graze of touch would tear them in two. They twitched and fluttered from time to time in excitement, a gentle, luminous glitter puffing up into an excited cloud of dust around him before settling back onto the body beneath it. The wings behaved as something comparable to a prism, flashes of colour caught Hajime’s eye as the figure shifted, the clear of his wings shining like the most beautiful jewel. Hajime couldn’t think of any words to say. He could hardly think at all.

 

This can’t be possible, this can’t possibly be real.

 

Hajime pinched the skin of his forearm harshly, wincing when the action didn’t wake him from his assumed dream. So it was reality.

 

He stepped closer, and upon doing so caught the zipper of his jacket on the splinter of a nearby shelf, causing a thick book to tumble out loudly and crash onto the floor. The stranger was instantly startled and jumped up with a gasp, bright, shimmering dust falling from him and dissolving into the carpet. He spun, a frightened and guilty expression painting his face, and now that Hajime had a better look at him, he took in his gray-green eyes, and how fear and embarrassment swam in them as he cautiously backed away from him.

 

Without a moments hesitance, and before Hajime could form any words to say to him, there was a sudden flash of white light. Hajime instinctively screwed his eyes shut tight, and when the flash had gone and he opened them once more, all he caught was glimpse of a small spark of light whizzing out the crack of the nearby window. The stranger had fled.

 

Hajime hadn’t noticed when he’d begun to breathe rather deeply. He clutched the corner of the shelf and tried to steady his breathing, a million thoughts buzzing in his head as he replayed the scenario that had just panned out. With the exit of the stranger the room had gone dark, the only previous source of light having been his vivid natural glow.

 

Who... was he? He certainly hadn’t been human, those wings of his were proof of that. But his _glow_ , the way his body just appeared to beam with the purest light, as if he was light itself. There was something mythical, no— _magical_ that surrounded and clung to him, and it had left Hajime speechless.

 

Finally, he moved, over to the very piece of furniture in which the young man had lain, and crouched next to where the potted plant next to it sat. He flipped a switch to the nearest source of light next to him, and glanced down at the shrub. He blinked.

 

The plant was flourishing, bright white flowers bloomed from it’s buds, their petals turned up to the sky. The leaves underneath the blossoms were lush and green and stood up tall and proud with the rest of the plant. It was strong, healthy. Beautiful.

 

But there was a problem. Yes, and a rather sizable problem at that.

 

And that being, that the healthy, hearty plant before him, had been dead and decaying merely four hours before.

 

———

 

“Bring me that damn servant will you?!”

 

Nagito flinched when the Queen’s shrill cry for him broke out and echoed through the Ever Tree. My what an unpleasant sound that was. One of the Queen’s guards— Nidai was his name— beckoned him near the entrance to the throne room, making Nagito’s wings twitch as he perked up and hastily made his way towards him. Nidai offered him a solemn expression and a reassuring nod before he closed the door behind him, leaving him alone with _her_.

 

Nagito hated her. Yet, he also loved and respected her at the same time. The Queen was a dangerous gem, he thought. Bringing forth the light and strength deep inside each of her subjects through her brutality, only the strongest and brightest of fairies could push through her harsh and sometimes violent dictations with grace. It was a beautiful thing to witness, he mulled, but also despairingly unpleasant. The shattered spirits of the pitiful fairies who failed to keep ahold of the hope in their hearts were useless, utterly incompetent, he thought. But the ones who prevailed in not losing themselves, the ones who clinged to hope with a vice grip and let it fester in their hearts until it burned, were the true pride and joy of the Fairy Kingdom.

 

The fairy Queen, Junko Enoshima, was simply a test of spiritual endurance. He wouldn’t let his will be broken by her, despite his inferiority. He would cling to hope no matter what.

 

He fluttered up to the podium before her throne, kneeling on one knee and bowing his head, as he always did when addressing her.

 

“You called, my Queen?” he questioned, awaiting her response before lifting his head.

 

She sighed, and Nagito could almost taste the palpable annoyance in it. He looked up at her, concern setting in at the distorted look on her face.

 

“Is this concerning the accident with the sun daisy deliveries earlier today?” Nagito asked, guilt pulling at him and twisting into nervousness as he stood up “My sincerest apologies about that, I was having trouble with the delivery carts this morning and then one lost a wheel as we were traveling, what absolute rotten luck don’t you agree? So then I had to fetch Kazuichi who was on the far side of the delivery warehouse back by the old oak tree and I hesitated because he’s quite the busy fairy, so—“

 

_“SHUT UP!”_

 

Nagito jumpedand fell silent immediately _._

 

“Can’t you ever be quiet for once in your life?! Jeez, is it impossible for you to _not_ be such a chatterbox?” She rubbed her temples with her slender pointer and middle fingers “Besides, that’s not why I called you in here. It’s about a decision I’ve come to, about your luck.”

 

Nagito fidgeted, his chest tightening. He knew Junko had a particular disdain for his unfortunate secondary talent, and all the trouble it caused. Being the only fairy of his kind, Junko had kept an eye on him since his talents had been revealed all those years ago when he’d first arrived at the Ever Tree.

 

Like all fairies, upon Arrival, he was to be assigned a talent. And on the day of his Arrival, the entirety of the fairy kingdom was in for a shock. Once the motif of a small pink blossom had presented itself to him, dubbing him with the talents of a Garden Fairy, a new, curious motif appeared before him. This was one that no fairy had seen before. Taking the form of a malachite-green four-leafed clover, the Queen seemed to be the only one who recognized it, describing it as the Motif of Luck.

 

Since then, his ‘talent’ for luck showed no boundaries. From wheels coming free of carts, to managing to find gold in the depths of the fairy mines, to fairies nearly losing their wings under fallen tree limbs and branches, Nagito’s luck showed no signs of yielding. Because of this, and because of how increasingly dangerous this new talent had become to his fellow fairies, the other fairies ordered him to isolate himself, to live on the outskirts of the Kingdom so that his ferocious cycle of luck wouldn’t cause additional harm.

 

Nagito had agreed to follow their wishes, understanding their fear and he began to live in a small house by the edge of the border river, the boundary that separated the fairy world from the human world. Even with the increased distance between him and the other fairies, his luck was powerful, and still managed to cause trouble. As an attempt to compensate for his luck’s misdeeds, he began working as a servant to the Queen, taking frequent trips to the Ever Tree, the centre of the fairy kingdom, to tend to her needs.

 

And now that brings him here.

 

“You know what, I’ve been doing some thinking,” she started, and Nagito shivered when he heard the malice seeping into her voice, “Your talent is such an absolute drag to deal with, don’t you know?”

 

Nagito bowed his head and nodded, ashamed of himself, though he knew there was nothing he could do to change it. He bit his lip out of anxiousness, folding his hands behind his back. He didn’t try to make any more excuses, fearing her fiery outbursts.

 

“So I thought maybe we’d all be better off if you left this place.”

 

Nagito snapped his head up to look at her. “W-What?” he croaked, his gut was doing flips, and he felt sick to his stomach.

 

“You heard me you little bug.” she ground out “I don’t need you anymore. All you ever do is cause more trouble than there needs to be in this place, I constantly have to be watching out for when that damn luck cycle of yours is gonna sabotage something. Not gonna lie, it gives me one hell of a migraine.”

 

“Y-You’re banishing me?” Nagito stuttered. He couldn’t process what he was hearing. The kingdom was his home, his livelihood, and the only hope he had left for his otherwise crumbling soul. He had no one to turn to. All the other fairies despised him. What’s worse, he would never survive without having access to the kingdom’s fairy dust supply, he wouldn’t last two weeks, much less forever. His light would surely snuff out.

 

She was sending him to die and she knew it. She _knew_ it.

 

Ah, this has to be the worst luck he’s ever endured.

 

“It’s nothing personal, pretty boy,” she stated dismissively, waving him off “I’m sure you understand. Oh-!”

 

She flipped her strawberry blonde hair with one hand and looked up at him with a diabolical grin. Her hooded eyes bore into his.

 

“Don’t bother taking any extra dust with you. A light like yours is already equivalent to darkness anyways.”

 

Nagito withered at the Queen’s words.

 

“Now then, off you goooooo!!!” she cackled, and at that moment, Nagito was whisked down as the floor beneath him opened up, and he yelped out of fear and surprise as he tumbled down, down, down…

 

———

 

Nagito tumbled out the other end of the magical Ever Tree into a messy, thick puddle of mud. He sighed, mumbling to himself about ‘of course this was to be expected’ and ‘only a lowlife such as myself would deserve to endure such a heaping serving of misfortune’. Ah, but what use was there in complaining of his circumstances? He had no right to after all.

 

Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he wiped the slick mud from his face and neck, frowning when he noticed that his wings had been slathered in it. Wiping as much as he could from them, he stood, finding himself underneath a rather large peach blossom tree in what seemed to be a neighborhood of houses for humans. He fluttered his wings lightly in an attempt to shake off any leftover residue, his heart dropping when he realized they were too weighed down to fly.

 

He was forced to walk then. Wonderful.

 

Closing his eyes, he mumbled a soft spell, suddenly feeling the ground beneath him shift. When he opened his eyes, he was several times larger than he’d been previously, the perfect size to blend in with mankind while his supernatural characteristics remained undetected and masked. Well, unless he wanted someone to see his wings, that is. Which he didn’t.

 

He started walking. He had no idea where to, of course, but being as familiar with his luck as he was, good luck was undoubtedly heading his way after today. He yawned, feeling extra exhausted as he walked block after block. As expected, he attracted odd stares from several passerby due to his messy clothes, which prompted him to walk faster.

 

The sun had begun to set, and with the fructifying darkness Nagito found it increasingly difficult to see. If he didn’t find somewhere to settle for the night soon, he’d be at risk of his precious wings being soaked if it rained. He cut through a patch of yellow grass into the huddling of houses, the blades perking up at his magic and leaving healthy, lush green patches in the wake of his footsteps. Well, at the very least dying plants yearned for him, if that meant anything.

 

He turned the corner towards a dead-end where several houses stood, all of them aglow from the inside and lighting up each window.

 

All but one, that is.

 

The mud on his wings had begun to dry into a crust, making it easier to gently scrape off with his fingertips. He dusted them off and spread them cautiously, feeling significantly lighter now that they weren’t caked with dirt and grime.

 

Lifting the spell of his disguise, he flew up to the house and circled around to the side, searching for a way inside. Spotting a window that was open just enough to accommodate his small stature, he floated up onto the sill to peek inside.

 

The house was vacant, perhaps the owner had left for the night? How lucky. Flitting into the room and returning to his larger, human form, Nagito gauged the space, admiring the homey accessories and decor. The walls were lined with various picture frames with photos, most centering around a young man with dark brown, spiked hair, wide smile, and piercing golden eyes. His expression made Nagito’s lips curl up into a small smile. He appeared so happy and cheerful, it almost made Nagito envy him.

 

When was the last time _he_ had smiled that genuinely, and not to spare someone the burden of his problems?

 

Ahah, it had to have been a while.

 

He migrated to the living room of the space, his now visible glow the only thing that illuminated the furnishings and carpet. He stepped across the room to a much smaller picture frame, perched atop a wooden display easel. This one looked like it hadn’t been touched recently, and dusty remnants drifted from it as he held it up. Another dazzling smile, of a girl this time, her pink locks fell around and framed her face, and she held up a peace sign gesture with her right hand. She was quite the charming sight, he mused.

 

He turned around towards the lounge chair, then glanced towards the front door of the house. Praying his luck would grant him a place to sleep peacefully that night, he climbed into the chair and curled his knees up to his chest, in an attempt to get comfortable. He shifted and draped his wings behind him, his eyelids growing heavy and he yawned.

 

His arm brushed against something dry and papery, and he opened one eye to look over the side of the armchair.

 

There was a small, potted plant there, whose leaves and stems had withered so badly that just a touch would cause it to crumble. The leaves drooped and curled from dehydration and lack of sunlight, the soil it was planted in as barren as the desert. Nagito frowned at the sight of it. Poor thing, perhaps it hadn’t been nurtured properly, as all plants require.

 

He reached his hand over to one of the desperate leaves, pressing his pointer finger to the papery surface. The plant responded to his touch with great enthusiasm, bending upward into his hand and practically begging for more attention. Chuckling, Nagito ran his hand down the stem of the plant, watching how the life and color returned to it almost instantly and smiled.

 

“You’ve been neglected, is that right?” he whispered solemnly “Well you see, I know that feeling as well.”

 

By this point the plant had begun to spring flowers, the white blossoms opening underneath Nagito’s palm. Nagito began humming a soft tune to encourage the plant to flourish, and watched the plant bloat with new life and beauty through his magic. He was so enamored with the plants progress, he didn’t register the sound of the front door of the house opening. It was a hopeful sight, to watch a once deceased plant blossom into new life again through his magic, and it offered him a sense of completion, of purpose, as if to say if not anything else, at least he could give flowers a second chance—

 

_THUNK!_

 

The sound startled him beyond belief, as he jumped up from his sitting position and spun around to face the newcomer. He was nearly his height, with brown, spiked hair and piercing gold eyes, which stared at him with a look of shock and disbelief written all over.

 

The boy from the photos.

 

Nagito was suddenly strikingly aware that he hadn’t re-cast his masking spell, thus his glow and wings were entirely visible. Only someone like him would be so careless and forgetful. He stepped backward, his mind running through all his options of what to do next. He knew it was compromising, not only had he been caught red handed in a strangers home, but he’d blown his cover at the same time!

 

Running on instinct, he flashed to his minuscule self and quickly flew out the window the way he came in to escape having to explain himself, his heart pounding wildly the entire time. He flew farther, and farther, until he came across a thick, hollowed tree that seemed dry enough to house him that night. As he took shelter, images of the encounter repeated themselves in his head, guilt and fear coursing through his being.

 

He buried himself underneath a nearby leaf, resting his head in his arms. The human world wasn’t the place for him, and he missed home. He could feel the despair eating away at whatever hope remained in his fragile heart, and it saddened him beyond belief. Tears finally welled at the corners of his eyes, and he allowed them to. There was no one here to tell him not to, anymore. No one around to tell him how to feel, to tell him how he shouldn’t feel, to tell him that it was his fault.

 

And so, for the first time in years, he cried, and the Queen’s words echoed in his chaotic mind.

 

_A light like yours is already equivalent to darkness anyways._

 

And he believed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talents: I mainly adopted from the Disney Fairies talent assignment mechanism, where fairies are assigned a talent upon their arrival to Pixie Hollow. In this AU, pixies and fairies are not the same thing.
> 
> Magic: Komaeda's magic touch is only viable to plants obviously because he is a Garden Fairy.
> 
> Fairy Light: When fairies go to long without replenishing their supply of fairy dust, first they lose their ability to fly, then their Light flickers out completely and the fairy dies.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Feel free to leave a comment, they really keep me motivated. My twitter is @xiinas if you’re interested in following, i love to gush about komaeda and hinata. Endless love for these boys. 💕💕
> 
> -Nancy


	2. You Were the Thunder, I Was the Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to Feralmaeda, probably the only reason I decided to continue with this. Love you <3
> 
> This one's a bit shorter than last time, sorry about that.

The morning came like a dream, blurry and bright, a strain on Hajime’s tired eyes. Sleep and exhaustion weighed over him as he slowly let himself wake up, the sounds of the world outside gradually becoming more prominent and clear. The night previous felt like a fantasy, and he mulled over that perhaps he’d had a tad too much to drink.

 

A bird’s discordant chirp rang out near his windowsill, startling him awake where he lay. Groaning, he rolled over to where his phone was on the bedside table to glance at the time. Nine thirteen AM. Well, at least he had the birds to thank for not letting him sleep in until noon. He rolled onto his stomach once more, clutching the fabric of his pillowcase in his fists and burying his face in the sinking cushion.

 

He did _not_ want to get up today.

 

At once, images of pale, glowing skin, and silky glistening wings flooded his mind, and he sat up in bed, concluding to himself that the experience was so, absolutely, undeniably _real_. He remembered soft, pale eyes and flushed lips, the entirety of him covered head to toe in that glimmering dust. He had been strange, so strange yet so new, intriguing, and _magnetic_ at the same time. It most certainly wasn’t a fantasy, the memory was so lucid, there in his mind.

 

He was real, and he was _beautiful_.

 

Deciding that he obviously wasn’t going to be sleeping any more that morning, what with the indignant sounds of the world outside and no way to darken the blinding sun rays shining through his window even with the curtains, Hajime swung his legs over the side of the bed. He didn’t even bother to make his bed that morning when he got up, stumbling his way downstairs and to the kitchen to make coffee before his tired body gave up.

 

The window to the kitchen was still open, he’d been too out of it to really do anything about it the night before. His eyes drifted to the living room, where bright white lilies with lush green leaves turned his direction toward the sunlight. His mind was whirring about with amazement, it wasn’t normal and yet he was intrigued. Normally, upon being exposed to the fact that something as fantastic and supposedly fictional as magic truly existed, he would have most likely been in denial. Would say it had to be coincidence. But he’d seen it, clearly, with his own two eyes, and now he couldn’t debate himself out of believing.

 

He made coffee silently, not even deciding to switch on the radio as he usually did during his mornings. His thoughts buzzed so much it was overwhelming. There was an unsettling feeling spreading in his chest and he couldn’t describe it. He wanted to see him again, learn more about him. Understand him. And that want was growing by the minute.

 

The doorbell rang suddenly, making him jump violently and spill hot coffee all down the front of his t-shirt. _Shit._ When he didn’t answer right away, the bell rang again, several times insistently as if urgent to get his attention. Hajime groaned and set his mug down on the counter, snatching up some nearby paper towels to dab himself somewhat clean as he walked out of the kitchen.

 

“I’m coming! I’m coming!”

 

His heart pounded as he made his way to the door, still settling down after being startled nearly half to death. Then a thought crossed his mind. _Could it be him? No, surely not_ , he reasoned, a wave of guilt pouring over him at how he’d probably frightened him far too much the night before for the celestial boy to ever return. Wishful thinking, that’s all it was. His shirt was starting to become sticky with the cream and sugar from his coffee, and that wasn’t in the least bit comforting as those sour thoughts soiled his conscience.

 

Upon unlocking the door and swinging it open, he was met with the faces of two unfamiliar men, probably only a couple years younger than him. The first was a bit short and wore a an over exaggerated, playful grin, and had unkept, deep violet hair and eyes that shown in the light like gems. The other was slightly taller behind his partner, and he seemed far more calm and composed compared to the other. His straight, dark navy hair rested plainly over his forehead and face to frame his soft features, and long eyelashes hooded over gray eyes. The shorter piped up rather quickly.

 

“Why hello!” he grinned even wider “Quite sorry to bother you this morning my _gooood_ sir, but I believe we may need to conduct a house inspection of your residence following some unexplainable phenomena that has occurred within the past couple of days. Simple detective work, you understand.”

 

Hajime blinked. Unfortunately he did not understand. Just what was this guy on about? A house inspection? What the hell for? When he didn’t respond, the man’s smile faltered, and he tried again, rolling his eyes in obvious annoyance. He straightened himself up and put on a more serious, corporate persona, as if he’d become a different person entirely.

 

“Apologies, perhaps I should start again” he sighed, extending his hand, to which Hajime reluctantly gripped. “My name is Kokichi Oma, and this here is my partner mister Shuichi Saihara—“

 

“H-Hey, you’re supposed to be _my_ partner!” the other cut in.

 

“ANYWHHOOO!” Kokichi ignored him, firmly shaking Hajime’s hand and continuing, “We are both private investigators, hired to scout areas showing any signs of supernatural activity. You knowww, the sort of things that would only seem possible with some sort of magical intervention if you get me. So we were just wondering if maybe anything suspiciously abnormal has been happening around here lately? Have you noticed anything, anything at all out of the ordinary?”

 

 _Magical intervention? Suspiciously abnormal?_ He seemed extremely inclined to continue pressing him for information, and Hajime kept jumping back and forth in his mind about whether he should trust these two, or deny them of any information he possessed. Just from one look at Kokichi, he could clearly tell he didn’t look in the least bit trustworthy. He was smug and very obviously overconfident, and for some reason his disposition put a bad taste in Hajime’s mouth.

 

Reading the tension of the situation, his partner placed a hand on Kokichi’s shoulder, pressing down and attempting to pull him away from Hajime, speaking lowly as he did.

 

“Lighten up Oma-kun, can’t you tell? He’s overwhelmed, quit asking so many questions at once.”

 

Kokichi bowed his head and brushed the others hand off him, looking like he was ready to make a snarky comment.

 

“Unfortunately, I’m afraid I haven’t seen anything that you could consider abnormal as of lately,” Hajime felt himself saying too quickly“Considering my awfully mundane lifestyle, I think I’d notice if something was out of place but, I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

 

The lie was so quick he barely felt it pass his lips, but when it was out he couldn’t help but freeze. Was that a mistake? The timing of their visit seemed almost too convenient considering last night, almost as if they had somehow sensed something had gone down at his home. Were they... looking for _him?_ Kokichi’s aura was naturally suspicious, like he had something to hide, or maybe that was simply his way of deceiving him? Maybe he really didn’t have anything to hide, and his demeanor was just a fad. He was a paradox, and Hajime just couldn’t solve him in that moment.

 

Kokichi squinted at him like a child, crossing his arms and humming. He almost appeared as if he was pouting, before he turned on his heel and brushed past Shuichi without another word. Confused, both Hajime and Shuichi turned to watch him shuffle off, and Shuichi sighed as he turned back in his direction.

 

“Sorry about this,” he said quietly, obviously trying to speak so that Kokichi wouldn’t hear “We’re on a case right now, and I suppose you could say it’s a bit... personal for him... but—“

 

He leaned a bit closer into Hajime’s personal space, then reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve what looked to be a mini slip of paper. Upon having it pressed into his palm, Hajime realized it was a business card, with Shuichi’s name and number printed in bold near the corner.

 

Shuichi offered a gentle smile, his eyes squinted the slightest bit and his eyes shimmered as the corners of his lips turned upwards. “If you see anything, anything that could possibly serve to help us even in the slightest, we’d— I’d really appreciate it.”

 

Hajime clutched the card between his fingers, returning his grin. With that, Shuichi stepped down the front stoop and turned to leave, just as Hajime called out one last time.

 

“Hey—! Um, what exactly is it that you’re looking for?”

 

Shuichi looked back and blinked, then his expression softened and he shrugged. “Well, it’s not so much some-thing as it is some- _one_ ” he mused, his smile becoming solemn and even somewhat melancholy “Though they’re rather hard to find— Oh! And what was your name?”

 

“Ah, Hinata. Hajime Hinata.”

 

“Well,” Shuichi waved, stepping back towards where Kokichi was calling for him in their SUV, “Thank you for your help and cooperation, Hinata-san! I’m sure we’ll see you around if anything comes up—“

 

“Saihara-channn!!!”

 

“Coming!”

 

Shuichi skipped down the front steps and into the driveway, waving behind him as he did. Hajime waved back, hopefully they’d be able to find whoever they were looking for. He stared out of the open door until their car rounded the corner, before turning back into the house and examining Shuichi’s business card more closely.

 

The center of the card read _Gofer Invesigators_ in large capital letters, with Shuichi’s information tucked neatly off to the side. It was designed well, and seemed legitimate, or maybe that was just his mind being more inclined to trust Shuichi rather than Kokichi.

 

The coffee maker beeped in the kitchen, alerting Hajime back to his interrupted morning routine. He sighed and placed the business card on his dining room table, returning to his bland daily chores.

 

—————————————

 

Kokichi slammed the car door, hard.

 

Shuichi flinched at his sudden irritation, climbing into the passenger seat and glancing at him sideways. He’d been becoming progressively more frustrated as time passed and they failed to reach their goal, and Shuichi couldn’t put his finger on why. The two of them sat in silence for the next couple of moments, before Kokichi decided it was the opportune time to dramatically flop forward directly onto the car horn, forcing it to let out a screeching wail.

 

“Oma-kun, what’s wrong?”

 

Kokichi dug his fingers in his scalp, tugging on violet tresses as he groaned loudly through his nose.

 

“Gaaaaahhh, everything!” His eyes were red and he was clenching his jaw tightly, and if Shuichi didn’t know any better he’d think his partner was on the verge of tears. It wouldn’t be uncharacteristic, though.

 

“We’ve been searching for WEEKS,” he blabbered, “Well never find him, Shuichi! Soon it’ll be too late and I—“

 

He stopped himself mid sentence and bit his lip hard between his teeth, gripping onto the leather steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Shuichi chewed on the inside of his cheek beside him, mind blank and not exactly knowing where to begin.

 

“Oma-kun, I—“

 

 _Pain_. White hot, searing pain shot up his spine and back.

 

He tried to scream, but Oma shot a hand over his mouth as Shuichi’s eyes watered over and tears spilled down his face as he writhed and squirmed. Ouma shoved down his panic as he scrambled closer, peeling off his sweatshirt and turning his back to him. It wasn’t fair that it had to happen here, and now of all times, just when their luck was running thin.

 

“Shuichi, it’s gotten worse,” he breathed, bringing a finger up to graze along one if the charcoal black scars across the inside of Shuichi’s shoulder blade, eliciting a violent wrench away from his touch and a pained groan. Kokichi ground his teeth in frustration as Shuichi choked out a sob and pressed a knuckle between his teeth.

 

“H-hah, it’s only going to... get worse... from here... “ he sighed. He laughed on the inside, mother nature’s timer was a brutal and merciless countdown, especially with this sort of ordeal.

 

Kokichi turned the car’s key, keeping one hand on Shuichi’s shoulder as he pulled out of the neighborhood.

 

———

 

Hajime maneuvered through his day as smoothly as he could after that morning’s encounter, overthinking in circles as he shredded papers in his cubicle. He felt unresolved, it was uncomfortable to no end. How could he be sitting at a day job after the things he’d seen, and act as if it was all _normal?_ It felt like an itch he couldn’t scratch, and it was beyond irritating.

 

A coworker sneezed the cubicle over, snapping Hajime from his thoughts. He raised his gaze to the open office window (usually his boss let them keep it open if it was warm out), watching cars whizz past as he crumpled some of the remaining papers in his grip. He sucked in a deep breath, feeling anxiety and restlessness tear at his core, urging him to go somewhere, _anywhere_ else but _here_. Maybe he just craved the unlikely chance that he’d somehow get lucky and run into the pretty stranger again.

 

...

 

Not a chance. Not that it mattered so much, anyway.

 

He tried to finish his work as quickly as humanly possible, filled with far too much energy to stick around the office for much longer.

 

As he was powering down his station computer, a young woman with long violet braids and wearing a white blouse with a pencil skirt poked her head into his cubicle. Large, round glass spectacles sat atop the bridge of her nose, magnifying her lavender-gray eyes.

 

“H-Hinata-san?” she started “Togami-sama w-wanted me to relay the message to you that we’ll be having a mandatory faculty lunch on Friday with the entire marketing team,” she lowered her voice just above a whisper before taking a deep breath and adding “If you ask me, I’d say it sounded like it wasn’t a ‘good’ kind of meeting he wanted to have.”

 

Hajime groaned, stacking the last of his papers and shuffling them together neatly.

 

“Thank you, Fukawa-san” He said in her direction, still distracted. She huffed, turned on her heel and walked back to her own office, mumbling all the while. Hajime didn’t pay her any more mind, however, his eyes fixed on an unusually bright glare in the corner of the office’s window. It was sunny out, but the way the light fell onto the glass and where the glare was placed was just so… unrealistic.

 

And then the glare was gone. And Hajime realized it wasn’t even a glare in the first place.

 

He scrambled down the office building’s emergency staircase, too excited and impatient to even think about waiting for the elevator. He nearly tripped over himself attempting to skip steps from time to time, but it mattered so little to him as long as he made it outside. When he flung open the front double doors and sunlight finally hit his face, the only other thing that greeted him was a semi empty parking lot and the everyday noise of traffic just meters beyond.

 

He let out a breath he hadn’t even known he’d been holding, opting to collapse down onto the curb and bury his face in his hands. He looked up and out into the street, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

 

He chuckled to himself, he had literally tried to chase the sun, and it failed spectacularly.

 

A second presence settled beside him, warmth settling between their bodies.

 

“You seem frustrated.” A voice stated. Obviously.

 

Hajime tilted his head up and felt his chest tighten when he got startled. Pristine white curls of hair and a delicate, pale complexion, complete with clear gray-green eyes that tilted upwards as he smiled. He was wearing something a lot less… _revealing_ this time; a dark black jacket with a white t-shirt and jeans. There was no ethereal glow about him this time either, but it was unmistakably the same guy. Hajime couldn’t exactly find any words to form in the moment, though staring was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the very long, passing seconds.

 

“Y.. ou…”

 

“I wanted to apologize,” the white stranger said abruptly, catching Hajime off guard “I invaded your space last night which was grossly impolite, but given my predicament I had very little options in terms of places I could go and… I’m afraid I stumbled upon your place by accident, I’m sorry.”

 

Needless to say, Hajime heard all but two words of his apology. He’d never been so… starstruck in his life. It took him a moment to even fully comprehend that the stranger had spoken to him at all. When he did, he cleared his throat and straightened up as much as he could, fiddling with his tie and breathing in harshly.

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it too much,” he said, facing the stranger “I was just startled by you, nothing too bad. Besides, you’re obviously not a bad guy, I don’t think you would’ve come to apologize if you were.”

 

The stranger laughed “For future reference though, maybe learn to lock your windows? I’m not the only thing that may try to get in there.”

 

“Right.” Hajime wrinkled his nose at the thought of someone _actually_ dangerous invading his home “So, not to be completely frank but uh, who exactly are you?”

 

“Hmm? Oh,” The stranger broke eye contact, fiddling with his hands as he spoke “My name’s Komaeda. Nagito Komaeda. And, well you’ve probably concluded it yourself by now but, I’m a fairy. What about you?”

 

“Hajime Hinata. I’m uh…human?”

 

Komaeda chuckled at his statement of the obvious, looking out into the parking lot as Hajime glanced at Nagito’s back. His wings weren’t visible at the moment, but Hajime assumed that had to be purposeful.

 

“Fairies of all talents and trades live together in a world apart from Earth,” Nagito continued “Every fairy dedicates their life to their talent, for example-“

 

Nagito reached down between his feet, pressing a finger to a dandelion bud peeking between a crack in the parking lot concrete, smiling as the yellow flower opened up and leaned into his touch. Hajime watched the interaction in awe, the touch was so light and careful, almost intimate even.

 

“I’m a Garden Fairy. My talent is the nurturing of plants and making sure they all live green, healthy lives. My other talent however is… not so useful, or rather, it’s useful… when it’s useful.”

 

Hajime was puzzled. “What is it?”

 

“Luck.”

 

“Luck?”

 

“Yes, luck.”

 

Nagito stood up from his sitting position, facing towards Hajime and grinning slightly. He closed his eyes, and began walking backwards, slowly, until he reached the edge of the curb to the open road, where cars whizzed to and fro, getting to their destinations. In a moment of panic, Hajime grabbed his wrist just as he was about to take another step backward.

 

“W-What the _hell_ are you doing!?”

 

Nagito opened his eyes, completely calm. “Trust me, Hinata-kun.”

 

 _“Trust you!?_ ” Hajime screeched, incredulous, “We _just met!_ How do I know you’re not absolutely _batshit insane!?_ ”

 

Nagito laughed again as he closed his eyes, pulling his wrist free and stepping out into the street. Hajime watched in absolute horror as he walked backwards across the first lane in between speeding traffic, then the second, then the third…

 

A car honked very loudly as it came to a screeching halt when Nagito crossed over the fourth lane, stepping onto the curb on the other side and opening his eyes, completely safe and in one piece.

 

“I told you! Hinata-kun!” He called across the street, “Luck!”

 

Hajime, while maybe not bright was a sensible human being, so he crossed the nearest crosswalk to get over to him, completely flustered as he fumbled for words.

 

“That was hardly luck! That was sheer stupidity! If that last guy hadn’t stopped, you’d have—”

 

“I would have died, yes, Fairies gain mortal bodies on Earth, I’d be roadkill, one hundred percent.”

 

“Then why would you—!”

 

“Luck, Hinata-kunnn.”

 

“That’s not a _fucking_ reason! So you risked your life just to prove a damn point!?”

 

Just then, a large glop of white collided with Nagito’s head, which upon further inspection Hajime realized was pigeon poop.

 

——————————————

 

“It comes in cycles.”

 

Nagito was leaned over the metal sink in Hajime’s kitchen, quietly explaining. He ran his fingers through his hair to aid the water in rinsing out the foul smelling excrement, trying to hold his breath as much as he could to keep from breathing in the scent. He sighed.

 

“If something good happens to me because of my luck, something equally bad will follow it, that’s just always how it’s been.” He mumbled, “That’s why I told you it’s only useful when it’s useful, my luck has always gotten me out of dangerous situations, so I’ve learned to trust that it’s course will always help me when I need it most, despite whatever misfortunes follow. Though, it doesn’t always serve as a get out of jail free card.”

 

Hajime stood with his arms crossed on the other side of the kitchen counter, nodding as if his entire existence wasn’t still hard for him to process.

 

He stood up from the sink, shaking out his hair and using the towel Hajime lent him. When he finished, he paused, spacing out and frowning. Hajime noticed his loss in train of thought, getting up to stand next to him.

 

“Komaeda?” Hajime prompted, but he didn’t answer. Nagito pressed his lips into a thin line and clutched his hands into fists so tight his knuckles burned and turned white. He gritted his teeth, and it took him a few moments to pull himself together entirely.

 

He hadn’t noticed it before, but underneath all the confusion, embarrassment and his overbearing inferiority complex that weighed over his head like a dark cloud, he was so, unbelievably angry. A little bit at himself, mostly at the Queen. Throughout his panic since he’d arrived in this world, he hadn’t the time to think very clearly, to rationally mull over his thoughts. Now that he was here, and relatively safer than before, he was _fuming._

 

_I hate her. I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her I hate her._

 

He whirled around and shouted out in frustration, orange light flashing brightly from his figure and a thick cloud of sparkling dust puffing up off his shoulders. His masking spell lifted, his wings exposed and twitching with his seething rage.

 

“..She… _she…!”_

 

He couldn’t articulate words. Hajime, who moved in front of him to look him in the face frowned, furrowing his brows and tentatively placing a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Hey, uh.. I don’t know much about your… situation, but you look stressed. Do you… wanna talk about it?”

 

Komaeda settled for a moment, blinking a few times before bowing his head slightly and chuckling. He sighed and met the other’s gaze.

 

“I don’t wanna waste your time, I’m sure you’ve got other things you have to do” he said, waving his hand dismissively “I’ve taken up enough of your time and kindness, anyway.” Flashing into his miniature self, he sat himself upon the counter, dusting off his tunic.

 

Perplexed (and albeit still not entirely used to Nagito’s supernatural appearance and qualities), Hajime held out his hand and blurted what he was thinking.

 

“Actually, today is my day off so… if you have nowhere else to go… you’re welcome to stay a while.”

 

 _I’d also like to talk to you about… all of this_ , was his idle afterthought.

 

Nagito, now perked, took a step into Hajime’s open palm and tripped as Hajime nearly dropped him, startled by the ticklish sensation of tiny feet crawling on his skin.

 

 _“Well, if I’ll be no trouble, I would appreciate that a lot Hinata-kun”_ Nagito smiled, his voice jingly and small sounding, like the ringing of little bells. There was something endearing about holding someone in your palm to Hajime, but it was also rather intimidating. It was as if Hajime was responsible for him in some way, regardless of the short span of time they’d known each other.

 

Nagito fluttered his wings, whizzing about Hajime’s head before he was suddenly full size in front of him again, giving the other a dazzling smile. Hajime noticed just then that something was a bit... off about him. He smelled faintly of dirt and mud, as if the smell of rain and damp musk had settled into his very skin. He noticed his wings were cloudy with dust and traces of clay, and they smelled of rain water. It made Hajime wrinkle his nose, so he clutched the other’s arm and pulled him towards his master bathroom.

 

“Hm? Hinata-kun, where are we going?” the fairy asked, a quizzical expression painting his face.

 

“To put it bluntly, you smell.” Hajime stated flatly “I wanna help you get cleaned up... o-or your wings at least, if that’s alright. When was the last time you bathed?”

 

Nagito twitched at the admission, reddening slightly as he bowed his head in shame. He probably was already too filthy to be in his house even if he had bathed, so to suddenly ruin this meeting because of one’s putrid stench... oh _no._ What a horrible way to be a guest in another’s home.

 

_I’m so utterly pathetic._

 

Hajime glanced behind him to see Nagito’s look of shame, immediately squeezing his wrist and gently calling him back to earth.

 

“Hey.”

 

Nagito peered up at him.

 

“It’s not a bad thing,” he continued, “I just want to help. And we can talk while I clean. It’ll be fun to talk, yeah?”

 

“....Yeah..” Nagito mumbled.

 

“So come on then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fairy Voice: Again, like in the Disney fairy movies, when Komaeda is in his miniature form, his voice comes out like the jingling of little bells. I omitted the part in Disney films where humans can't understand fairy voices however. In this verse, Hajime understands him clearly.
> 
> Wing Washing: Hajime isn't aware of it yet, but washing another's wings can be a sign of respect and charity in the fairy world, almost like giving someone a gift. It's a kind favor to offer other fairies.
> 
> See you whenever I get time to write the next one. <3


End file.
